Bitcoin news

Delaware Life Insurance Company has launched the industry’s first fixed indexed annuity that offers Bitcoin exposure through BlackRock’s U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12% Index, giving policyholders indirect access to the iShares Bitcoin Trust within a principal‑protected insurance structure. The index blends U.S. stocks and Bitcoin with a 12% volatility target, using cash adjustments to soften Bitcoin’s price swings; it will be available to customers of the Momentum Growth, Momentum Growth Plus and DualTrack Income products. This step follows more than $530 million in Bitcoin ETF‑linked structured notes sold by major Wall Street firms, underscoring growing institutional crypto adoption.

Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) purchased 22,305 Bitcoin between Jan. 12‑19, raising its holdings to 709,715 BTC (≈$64 B) with a cost basis of $53.92 B, generating about $10.5 B in paper gains. The acquisitions are financed by at‑the‑market sales of its common (MSTR) and preferred shares (STRC, STRK). The preferred series offer high annual yields—STRC at 11%, STRK at 8%, STRF and STRD at 10%—forming a tiered income product ladder that has attracted institutional investors. The model creates a circular dependency: Strategy sells securities to buy Bitcoin and then pays dividends on those securities. Risks include Bitcoin price crashes, lack of insurance, and exposure to untested credit structures that could collapse in a recession.

Delaware Life Insurance is adding limited Bitcoin‑linked exposure to its retirement annuity portfolio via a BlackRock‑developed index that blends U.S. stocks with managed BTC allocation, capped at about 12% volatility. The structure lets policyholders gain indirect BTC exposure while preserving principal under annuity terms. The index will be offered across three fixed‑indexed annuities, which protect initial investment and provide tax‑deferred growth tied to a market index. Delaware Life has surpassed $40 billion in cumulative annuity sales. The move follows broader insurance and regulatory interest in crypto exposure, with BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF ranking as a top spot Bitcoin fund and U.S. policy expanding crypto access in retirement plans.

Boundless has built a cross‑chain verification layer that lets Ethereum and Base roll‑ups settle zero‑knowledge proofs on Bitcoin. Using RISC Zero’s zkVM, BitVM and the Bitcoin‑native roll‑up Citrea, the system turns Bitcoin into a verifier and settlement layer rather than a computational chain. The solution requires no Bitcoin protocol changes, anchoring complex computations to Bitcoin’s scripting model and offering a neutral, secure settlement for roll‑ups amid L1 competition. Boundless plans to extend support to other chains via Wormhole and aims to position Bitcoin as a shared security layer for the ecosystem.

MicroStrategy bought 22,305 bitcoins for about $2.13 billion on Monday, the biggest purchase since November 2024, raising its holdings to 709,715 BTC. The deal was announced just a day before bitcoin slipped below $90,000, and the company’s shares fell 7.39%, trading at $160.87. Investors remain skeptical as the firm keeps buying at high prices, sparking concerns over its entry‑point strategy and capital‑allocation decisions.

Gold surged 62.6% in 2025 amid tariff‑driven uncertainty, while oil fell 21.5% as trade barriers cut demand and Bitcoin slipped 6.4%. Despite the flat crypto prices, digital asset treasuries invested nearly $50 B, taking over 5 % of the total Bitcoin and Ethereum supply, signalling long‑term conviction. The year compressed crypto supply and built stronger holders; as tariff pressure eases, Bitcoin is poised to rebound once liquidity improves.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the World Economic Forum that all seized Bitcoin will be added to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) instead of sold, following a March 2025 executive order that treats Bitcoin as a long-term strategic asset like gold. Officials confirmed that the 57.55 BTC forfeited from Samourai Wallet developers - worth about $6.3 million - has not been liquidated and will stay in the SBR. The DOJ said there was no transfer to Coinbase Prime, countering earlier reports.

Trump family added $1.4B in crypto assets, boosting crypto to about 20% of its $6.8B net worth, but overall wealth stayed flat as Trump Media’s declining valuation erased gains; WLFI tokens are still locked. Strategy bought 22,305 BTC for $2.1B, its largest weekly purchase in over a year, lifting holdings above 700,000 BTC (~$64B) and 3.3% of the total supply, financed via equity and preferred stock issuances. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong will discuss a U.S. crypto market‑structure bill at Davos, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to a strategic Bitcoin reserve and regulatory leadership; an OG whale moved $85M BTC after 13 years.

Delaware Life Insurance Company has become the first insurer to offer crypto exposure via a fixed index annuity, adding BlackRock's BTC‑3.57% index that blends the S&P 500 with Bitcoin through the IBIT ETF. The index provides policyholders Bitcoin exposure while maintaining annuity downside protection. The launch stems from a partnership with BlackRock, the issuer of the largest spot Bitcoin ETF. IBIT, launched in January 2024, holds nearly $76 B in assets; Delaware Life’s parent group also manages $76.4 B. The new product addresses rising demand for crypto in retirement plans amid strong institutional inflows into Bitcoin ETFs.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reaffirmed President Donald Trump’s goal of making the United States the global leader in cryptocurrency innovation during the World Economic Forum in Davos, stressing the need for a favorable regulatory regime and a strategic Bitcoin reserve that draws from forfeited assets without selling them. He cited a recent Bitcoin forfeiture case, noting that the seized coins had not been liquidated and would be added to the reserve after damages were addressed, and mentioned ongoing efforts in Washington to pass comprehensive crypto legislation, which has stalled after disagreements over stable‑coin rewards and Coinbase’s withdrawal of support.